Your noon Briefing: Labor ‘will lower number of new builds’

Welcome to your noon digest of what’s been making news and what to watch for.

Hello readers. Here is your noon digest of today’s top stories.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Question Time in the House of Representatives Chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

‘AAA’ rating threat

Scott Morrison warns Labor’s negative gearing policy would endanger our AAA rating; Josh Frydenberg warns it would lower new housing construction. Keep up with the latest from parliament in our live blog, PoliticsNow.

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Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull and Mark Latham.

The rat stuff

Though the term is used loosely, there have been only a handful of political rats in Australian politics, writes Janet Albrechtsen. These men had power and influence and inflicted serious damage on their party. Measured against history, those whispering that Malcolm Turnbull is one of the country’s newest political rats are wrong.

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 23: Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews marches with protesters as they take part in a rally organised by the ACTU on October 23, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. The rally is part ACTU's Change the Rules campaign, calling for improved wages to keep up with the cost of living. Marches were held simultaneously around Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

‘Red shirts’ refuse interviews

Victorian Labor MPs embroiled in the “Rorts for Votes” scheme are reportedly refusing to be interviewed by police, meaning detectives must decide whether to lay charges without questioning them first.

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Turkish police stand guard as they cordoned off an underground car park, on October 22, 2018 in Istanbul, after they found an abandoned car belonging to the Saudi consulate, three weeks after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate. - Saudi Arabia has finally admitted that Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate in what Ankara now says was a "savagely planned" murder. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)

‘Worst’ cover-up

Donald Trump has accused Saudi Arabia of the “worst cover-up in the history of cover-ups” with the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It came as the US said it would revoke the visas of some Saudi officials implicated in Mr Khashoggi’s death. Stepping up pressure on the Saudi regime, Mr Trump said whoever thought of the idea of killing the Saudi journalist was ‘in big trouble.’

“They had a very bad original concept. It was carried out poorly, and the cover-up was one of the worst in the history of cover-ups.”

Donald Trump

“Bring me the head of the dog.’’

Saud al-Qahtani

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(FILES) In this file photo taken on November 9, 2017 shows US President Donald Trump (L) and China's President Xi Jinping leaving a business leaders event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. - President Donald Trump on September 18, 2018 accused China of seeking to influence upcoming US elections by taking aim at his political support base in the countries' escalating trade war. "China has openly stated that they are actively trying to impact and change our election by attacking our farmers, ranchers and industrial workers because of their loyalty to me," Trump tweeted.Trump's comments came a day after he targeted another $200 billion in Chinese imports with tariffs starting next week, drawing an immediate vow of retaliation from Beijing. (Photo by Nicolas ASFOURI / AFP)

The long read: Cold warriors trade blows

US-China tensions risk leading to something worse than a tariff war, according to The Economist.

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Comment of the day

“Of course there will be a housing hit. Keating did this exact thing when he was The World’s Greatest Treasurer, and had to reverse it in 8 months because of the adverse repercussions. You’d think Bowen and BS and their mates could read recent history and learn something from it?”

Maree, in response to ‘Labor risks $12bn housing hit over ending negative gearing’.